Retired BPD officer Mike Bell speaking before the City Council (Screenshot from city website)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- As Birmingham city officials prepare to dissect the legal, financial and long-term consequences of its retiree insurance program, Mike Bell urged them to remember those affected by their decisions.

After two heart attacks, two strokes and five back surgeries, Bell, a retired police officer injured in the line of duty, told council members that he didn't have luxury of returning to work to pay the extra cost of healthcare in the city's new plan.

"My spine's as fragile as a cookie because of what happened to me on the force," Bell said standing before the council. "I represent a lot of people, not just myself, who are in the same position I am."

Some single plans could rise from $164 to $356. Family plans could rise from $950 to $1,100. The current cheaper single "plus" plan would be eliminated. Exact rates vary according to each employee, but retirees collectively call the increases unaffordable.

The council will hold a special works session Thursday to discuss the changes. Bell urged the council to remember him and others during their deliberation.

Human Resources Director Peggy Polk said adjustments were needed because the current retirement plan was financially unsustainable.

"For the last four or five years the active employee funding has been taking care of the retirees," Polk said. "The retiree funding has been outpacing what was funded for it."

The city had added the 'plus' insurance plan that allowed retirees to add one additional dependent to the single plan at a cost less than the regular family plan.

As a result, the city lost money because of a large switch from family plans to employee plus, officials explained. The city's new plan involves phasing out the plus plan, which would result in retirees to either select the single plan or family plan.

Councilwoman Lashunda Scales said the city should not discard its employees or former employees. Officials find money for every other priority, and the insurance shortfall should be no different, she said.

"Are we saying that if we get in a deficit this is the way we treat people who actually commit to the city?" she asked. "Those are committed, loyal people who believed in working for the city. I don't think these are the people you penalize because you're in a crunch."